Rostrevor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rostrevor Irish: Ros Treabhair
Rostrevor seen from Kilbroney Forest
Population	2,800 (2011 Census)
District	Newry, Mourne and Down
County	County Down
Country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NEWRY
Postcode district	BT34
Dialling code	028
EU Parliament	Northern Ireland
UK Parliament	South Down
NI Assembly	South Down
List of places UK Northern Ireland Down 54°06′04″N 6°12′04″W / 54.101°N 6.201°W / 54.101; -6.201

Rostrevor seen from Rostrevor Forest in 2010 (Carlingford Lough is to the left of the picture)

Rostrevor welcome sign in Irish and English, with Slieve Martin in the background

Kilfeaghan dolmen

Rostrevor (which is Ros Treabhair in Irish) is a lovely village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It sits at the bottom of Slieve Martin mountain, right on the coast of Carlingford Lough. You'll find it close to Warrenpoint. The Kilbroney River flows through the village, and Rostrevor Forest is also nearby. Rostrevor is about 7.5 miles (12 km) south-east of Newry. It is part of the Newry, Mourne and Down local government area.

In the 2011 Census, Rostrevor had a population of 2,800 people.

What's in a Name? The Story of Rostrevor

The name "Rostrevor" has an interesting history. The first part, "Ros," comes from an old Irish word meaning "a wood" or "a wooded headland."

The second part of the name comes from a person! His name was Sir Edward Trevor. He was from Wales and moved to this area in the early 1600s. His son, Marcus Trevor, later became a very important person called a Viscount.

Some people used to think the name "Ros" came from Sir Edward Trevor's wife, Rose. But this was a mistake. Before Sir Edward Trevor arrived, the area was known as Caisleán Ruaidhrí. This means "Rory's castle" in English. It was named after one of the local lords, the Magennis family, who ruled Iveagh.

Today, the village is spelled Rostrevor. However, the larger area around it, called the townland, is sometimes spelled Rosstrevor.

Cool Places to Visit in Rostrevor

Rostrevor and its surroundings have some amazing spots to explore!

Cloughmore: The Giant's Stone

Near Rostrevor, you'll find a huge rock called Cloughmore. It's a 50-ton granite boulder sitting high up on the slopes of Slieve Martin, about 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the village. People often call it 'the big stone'.

This giant rock was left there by huge sheets of ice, called glaciers, during the last Ice Age. But there's also a fun local legend! The story says that the famous Irish hero and giant, Finn McCool, threw the stone. He supposedly threw it from the Cooley Mountains, which are on the other side of Carlingford Lough. He did this to win a fight with another giant named Ruiscairre, burying him under the boulder. Some people believe that if you walk around the stone seven times, it will bring you good luck!

Old Church and St. Brónach's Bell

The old church in Rostrevor is located in the graveyard on the Kilbroney road. It's believed to be built on a very old site first used by a saint named Brónach. This church became a special protected building in 1983.

Inside the village's Catholic church, you can find the bell of Brónach. This bell is very old, dating back to around 900 A.D.! There are many tales about how the bell used to scare local people. On stormy nights, they would hear a loud sound and didn't know where it came from. Many thought it was a message from God. It was also said that the bell's ringing warned sailors about rough waters on the lough. In 1885, the bell was found hidden in an old oak tree. It had probably been hidden there many years before, perhaps during a time of big changes in religion called the Reformation.

Ghan and Fairy Glen Rivers

Rostrevor has two lovely rivers, the Ghan and the Fairy Glen. The Fairy Glen river got its name because many people believe that magical fairies live along its banks.

Famous People from Rostrevor

Many interesting people have connections to Rostrevor!

• Major General Robert Ross-of-Bladensburg was born in Rostrevor. He was a British commander during the War of 1812. A tall granite monument was built in his memory in 1826. It stands above the Warrenpoint Road, just outside the village. His family, the Ross Family, lived at Kilbroney Park.
• Ben Dunne, who started the popular chain of stores called Dunnes Stores, was born here.
• Sir Francis Stronge lived in Kilbroney House.
• Mary McAleese, who later became the President of Ireland, lived in Rostrevor village with her family before she was elected in 1997.
• Three of the four members of the Irish Folk group The Sands Family live in Rostrevor.
• Dana, a singer who won the Eurovision Song Contest, also lived in Rostrevor for a while.
• T. K. Whitaker, a very important economist who helped develop the Republic of Ireland, was born in Rostrevor. His family later moved to Drogheda.
• Catherine McGrath, a country music singer, is from the village.
• Cathal McCabe, a poet, grew up nearby and has lived in or near Rostrevor since 2004.
• Laurence McGivern, an Irish Paralympic swimmer who won a World Bronze Medal in 2013, was also born in Rostrevor.

Learning in Rostrevor: Schools

Rostrevor has several schools for children:

• Kilbroney Integrated Primary School
• Killowen Primary School
• St. Bronagh's Primary School
• Ywam Rostrevor

Horse Tram History

Rostrevor once had a tram station! It opened on August 1, 1877, and offered a horse-drawn tram service to Warrenpoint. This tram service was called the Warrenpoint and Rostrevor Tramway. Sadly, it closed down in February 1915.

Sports and Fun

Rostrevor is home to a few sports clubs:

• The local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club is called St Bronagh's.
• The local association football (soccer) club is Rossowen F.C.

Images for kids

• 

  Robert Ross Monument, Rostrevor

See also

In Spanish: Rostrevor para niños